The Multinational Conference for Collective Training Capabilities was an initiative by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Joint Multinational Training Group – Ukraine to support the development of a comprehensive and integrated approach to training processes. The event was jointly hosted by Task Force Carentan, Operation Unifier of the Canadian Armed Forces, and Combat Training Center – Yavoriv.

Task Force Carentan is deployed in support of JMTG-U as mentors to Ukrainian observer/controllers as they integrate NATO interoperable processes into collective training at the brigade level and below.

Col. Oleksandr Schvets, deputy chief of the J7 General Administration of Training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, laid out the deliberate objectives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“There are two reasons for this conference,” explained Schvets. “There is a need to update the training we are conducting at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center. Second, to continue to work with multinational committees to standardize the Armed Forces of Ukraine training processes.

We have received guidance from our general headquarters and the president to implement NATO standards by 2020.”

Armed Forces of Ukraine organizations with senior leadership representation included the Land Forces Command, Air Assault Forces Command, the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Land Forces Academy, and several national combat training centers.

Maj. Hector Rueda, brigade mentor of the CTC mentorship branch, was one of several multinational leaders who spoke of their respective organization’s approach to collective training standardization.

As with anything, the greatest constraint commanders have to balance is resources.”

Multinational mission representatives in attendance included Operation Orbital from the United Kingdom and the Lithuanian Military Training Mission – Ukraine. American representation also included the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and the Doctrine and Education Advisory Group for Ukraine.